Vets to get ‘one-stop shop’ for benefits Thursday

The Georgia Department of Veterans Service, together with representatives from several other federal, state, and local government agencies, will conduct a free “one-stop shop” for veterans benefits at the Georgia National Guard Armory in Savannah on Dec. 5 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

GDVS Commissioner Pete Wheeler explained the program during a Nov. 19 meeting with Savannah Mayor Edna Branch Jackson, who issued a proclamation designating Dec. 5 as “Supermarket of Veterans Benefits Day” in Savannah.

“There may be many veterans and dependants who are eligible for various benefits but who, for some reason, have never applied for them,” Wheeler said. “No veterans benefit is automatic. You have to know about it, and you have to apply for it. The Georgia Department of Veterans Service exists to help veterans to do just that, and during this one-day program, every other agency that has any connection whatsoever with veterans benefits will be present to assist veterans and their family members.”

In addition to the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, some of the other agencies represented will include the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Military Retirement Services; the Social Security Administration; TRICARE; Small Business Administration; the Georgia Department of Driver Services; the Georgia and U.S. Departments of Labor; Rehab Services of the Georgia Department of Human Resources; and representatives of state and federal medical facilities.

The event will include a health fair provided by medical personnel from the Veterans Health Administration. Free medical screenings and seasonal flu shots will be available.

This is the sixth time the event has been held in Savannah. It was last held there in 2005.